I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to spectacles that enable two-dimension images from television, motion pictures, video games and the like to be viewed in three-dimension.
II. Description of the Related Art
Many techniques have been used to provide (three-dimensional) images for one viewing motion pictures or television. One technique requires two camera systems in which two different pictures are taken from different camera angles and locations, with the objective of simulating how depth is perceived by a pair of human eyes, which are offset from each other and thereby able to view images at slightly different angles. These two camera images are superimposed and then presented to the viewer simultaneously on a television or movie screen. Thereafter, the images are separated for the viewer so that one eye sees only one image, and the other eye sees only the other image, to provide the illusion of depth created by simulating normal vision.
Another technique uses color filters to separate the two images. The images are color coded, as for example with red and green, and the viewer is given glasses having different colored filters in front of each eye, and each filter rejects the image not intended for that eye, and transmits the image intended to be seen by that eye. For example, a red color filter will pass only the red image, and a green color filter will pass only the green image to enable the viewer to experience a 3-D image.
A further technique for providing three-dimensional images is through the use of viewing glasses for stereoscopic pictures, wherein two lens of the viewing glasses are polarized, with one of the lens having a polarizing plane lying at an angle different than the polarizing plane of the other lens and a polarizing image projected onto a screen enables the viewer to see a proper image transmitted to each eye; however, this technique requires special non-depolarizing projection screens.
A yet further technique to enable a viewer to experience three-dimensional or stereoscopic pictures utilizes viewing glasses based upon what is referred to as the Pulfrich effect, wherein an image is viewed through a pair of glasses having a dark right-eye lens and a light left-eye lens, so that an object moving from left to right in an image is viewed as a three-dimensional image. Conversely, a two-dimensional image viewed thru a pair of glasses having a dark left-eye lens and a light right-eye lens wherein the object is moving from right to left in a two-dimensional image is viewed as a three-dimensional image.
There is an interest when viewing two dimensional images from television sets or movies to provide better means to allow the viewer to appear to see these images in three dimensions, by the use of an inexpensive frame and inexpensive lenses to enable viewing that would not require manipulation of different color coding to the objects or the use of specialized projecting cameras that enable the viewer to experience an image taken from two or more cameras.